William Graham, Jr. '25

Contents

Lucky Bag

William Walter Graham

Palmyra, New Jersey

"Bill" "Ben"

FIRST of all we must tell you that "Bill" is a good sport. If you ask me, that is his weakness and his strength, too. "Bill" hasn't limited himself to the layman's idea of sports in which he has tried his hand in Football, Boxing, and Baseball, but has branched out into other lines. As organizer and charter member of the Lion Tamers' Club, he became notorious during Second Class Cruise. This Club was well known for the antipathy of its members for work and for its strict entrance requirements. To become a member it was necessary to perform 36 hours of continuous and progressive caulking.
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"Do you know that ----?" and he is off to the sport of the hour whether it be bridge, bull, or baseball. We now take a very unsportsmanlike advantage of the picture above and quote a few lines from his latest book on how to play pinochle:

William Walter Graham

Palmyra, New Jersey

"Bill" "Ben"

FIRST of all we must tell you that "Bill" is a good sport. If you ask me, that is his weakness and his strength, too. "Bill" hasn't limited himself to the layman's idea of sports in which he has tried his hand in Football, Boxing, and Baseball, but has branched out into other lines. As organizer and charter member of the Lion Tamers' Club, he became notorious during Second Class Cruise. This Club was well known for the antipathy of its members for work and for its strict entrance requirements. To become a member it was necessary to perform 36 hours of continuous and progressive caulking.
<p>

"Do you know that ----?" and he is off to the sport of the hour whether it be bridge, bull, or baseball. We now take a very unsportsmanlike advantage of the picture above and quote a few lines from his latest book on how to play pinochle:

Remembrances

To Lieutenant Commander William W. Graham, 39-year-old skipper of the Jarvis, fell the heaviest burden in meeting the crisis [of being torpedoed on August 8, 1942, during an arial attack during the invasion of Guadalcanal]. Graham was a quiet, competent, and personable officer who kept a huge store of nervous energy visible, but under control until it was needed. He had taken command only two months previously when his predecessor suffered appendicitis. Yet during that time he had won the loyalty and confidence of the veteran crew. When the Jarvis was hit while maneuvering during the air attack, many of the men believed their skipper had unselfishly interposed his ship in the way of the torpedo so as to save the more valuable Vincennes.

A torpedo hit followed by extensive flooding and fierce fire puts a 1500-ton ship in serious peril, and during the few seconds of terror and confusion after the disaster, somebody passed the word, "Abandon Ship." Accustomed to obedience, many did not question the authenticity of the order and lowered boats, life rafts, and preservers into the water. But the captain, despite his station almost over the explosion, never considered leaving his lady in distress. Aided by subordinates, he led his men in gallant and effective efforts. They put out the fire which raged forward, patched up the engineering plant, and jettisoned torpedoes which threatened to overturn the ship. The destroyer Dewey came alongside and towed the Jarvis to a shallow-water anchorage near the Guadalcanal landing beaches. Nobody took time to retrieve the boats and life rafts. Admiral Turner's flagship MacCawley loaned the stricken ship thirty men to help make temporary repairs. Graham didn't need them. Urged on by the captain's example, Chief Pharmacist's Mate George W. Head ignored his own painful burns to help other wounded sailors. Fourteen men were missing; seven others wounded; the seven were transferred to the MacCawley.